Monday, November 26, 2012

Wisteria by Bisi Leyton---A Review

As I munched away on my Turduken this Thanksgiving, I started reading the novel, Wisteria which is making a stop today as part of a tour for Innovative Online Book Tours. I thought it was an appropriate read for this time of year, as it is a zombie book and the zombies are called biters. As I chewed away on the turkey leg, I couldn't help but see the irony there. What follows is my review of Wisteria. Enjoy!--Mary Ann

Book Title: Wisteria
Author Name: Bisi Leyton
Author Location (for press releases) London , England
Name of series and book number in series: Wisteria Series Book 1
Total Book in the Series: 3 so far
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: Aug 2012
ISBN: Paperback: 9781291114898
ASIN: B008XRI3BA
Number of pages: 275
Word Count: 90,000
Formats available: PDF and Mobi/prc
Cover Artist: Olivia Smith

Here is the blurb:

Sixteen year old Wisteria Kuti has two options—track the infected around the Isle of Smythe or leave the only known safe haven and face a world infested with flesh eating biters. But even with well-armed trackers, things go wrong and Wisteria ends up alone facing certain death, until she is rescued by the mysterious Bach. Uninfected, Bach is able to survive among the hordes of living dead. Eighteen year old Bach, from a race known as The Family, has no interest in human affairs. He was sent here to complete his Great Walk and return home as a man—as a Sen Son. The Family regard humans as Dirt People, but Bach is drawn to this Terran girl, whom he has never seen before, but somehow knows. Hunted by flesh eaters, cannibals, and the mysterious blood thirsty group called Red Phoenix, Wisteria and Bach make their way back to the Isle of Smythe, a community built on secrets and lies.

I felt like this author had a marvelous idea that was exciting and fun to read. She had some character development going with Wisteria who comes off as being a nice mixture of strength under pressure and vulnerability when it comes to the heart. I also really liked the idea of the alien race looking down on us as our planet is being destroyed by zombies due to the Nero virus. The end of the book hints at all sorts of possibilities as to the origin of the virus and the possible implications of it for Wisteria's family.

So lots of good ideas here....

But....

This book needed a good edit. There were lots of beginning writer mistakes which needed to be corrected. At times, the writing felt rushed, and at other times, very slow. The dialogue, in particular, was often frustrating for me because it was stilted and mechanical. I also think pieces of the story should have been introduced earlier and that the world of The Family/Bach should have been clearer. I think there is a great storyline with that particular group, too, but as it was written, I had trouble understanding who they were and why they were important. Bach comes off as a robot with PMS: one minute he's all worked up over Wisteria and two lines later, he's cold as ice. When that happens once or twice, a reader chalks it up as an odd character trait, but when it happens in every scene....well, then it's overused and makes the reader not like the character, which is too bad since he's supposed to be the hero and love interest of the story.

Sound a bit harsh? It is, I admit. But this writer has so much potential! All it would take to be truly great with this story and its sequels, is to make a few tweaks in the editing department. I would still recommend checking this book out and seeing what you think for yourself!

As
she walked back to the ridge of the roof, Bach’s heart went with her. Someone
had tried to hurt her. Tried to damage what belonged to him, and who he
belonged to.

He
started to feel dizzy from the volumes of strangle weed planted in the front of
her house.

“Thank
you so much for coming and for the guitar. It’s perfect.” She gave it back to
him.

“No,
it is yours, Wisteria.” He refused to take it. “Do you not like it?”

“No,
I love it. It’s so beautiful.”

“Then
keep it.” He kissed her neck. Knowing—hoping—his touch would soothe her pain,
but he hadn’t come here to comfort her.

“Bach.”
She used her instrument as a shield as she moved away from him. “It’s a bad
idea. You won’t understand.”

“You
are right. I do not get why you would refuse something you apparently love,” he
whispered while rubbing her forearms and taking in her scent.

“If
I accept your kindness, then I’ll have to face the consequences. I don’t know
if I can face those.”

“You
cannot face accepting my kindness, or is it accepting me that you cannot face?”

“Um…?”

“Tell
me that you do not feel the same,” he whispered. “That the moment you first saw
me that I did not get inside your head. Tell me that you do not think about me
all of the time when we are not together?”

The
dark-eyed girl did not answer.

Wishing
he could will her to speak, he pressed her against his chest. Briefly, he
noticed a black spot at the base of her neck, where he had kissed her, and then
it was gone. “Okay, Wisteria. Then tell me that you want me to leave, and that
you do not care if you never ever see me again.” He felt like someone else was
speaking for him, once again. The questions became pointless as he found
himself still planting kisses along her neck and the sides of her face.

“I
can’t tell you that, Bach,” she replied softly, her voice breaking. “Because
it’s not true.” She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly.

Desperately
wanting to kiss her luscious-looking lips, he leaned into her.

Wisteria
reached up to him, tugging his head down as she stood on the very tips of her
toes, seemingly just as eager to taste his lips.

“Wisteria,
I cannot.” He broke away before it happened. “I do not want this.”

* * * * *

Wrapping
her arms around herself, she moved away from him. Once again, humiliated and
feeling foolish. “Goodnight, Bach!” She strode angrily to the side of the roof
in order to climb down.

He
grabbed her and held her back

The
guy came here just to tease her, yet again!Didn’t
he know he was hurting her?Didn’t
he care?“I’m
tired of all this nonsense. I’m actually tired and need some sleep. I’m done
with this. All of this!” She should’ve left the roof when she saw him appear.
“Let go, so I can go.”

“Wisteria,
it is not that.” Exhaling heavily, he released her. “My people could kill you
if they knew I wanted you.”

This
wasn’t at all what she’d expected him to say. “What?”

“I
am in love with you. I do not know why, but I am. And it is selfish, because I
just want you for myself.” Sadness filled his eyes as he spoke.

“Why
would they do that to me?”

“Because
you are human and because we see humans as Terran, or dirt people.”

“And
you believe that too? So why are you here, living among us, if we’re so
disgusting?”

“You
are not disgusting. You are beautiful.” Rubbing his temples, he seemed troubled
and bewildered. “I came to Terra as a rite of passage. To be considered a man,
to take a journey and experience the wild.”

“The
wild?”

“I
chose Terra, or Earth, because I came here as a child. Your people treated me
so badly in the past. When I learned about the Nero disease, I wanted to see
your world.” He paused. “You were right when you said there was something wrong
with me.”

“Bach,
it cannot be that bad.” Stepping up to him, she stroked her fingers along his
biceps.

The
sweet motion made him smile at her, but he still looked distressed.

“Like
about Garfield, you let him live with you. And now you’re here with me.”

“You
are not like the rest.”

“Neither
are you. You’re not so cold and cruel like Enric or patronizing like Felip.
They think they’re better than us. You just hate people because you’re a jerk,
Bach.”

“Ha.”
Bach laughed. “A jerk?”

“You’re
a bigjerk.” As the final word rolled from her lips,
he kissed her.

She
was stunned for a second. His lips tasted like a strange, tantalizing spice.

He
squeezed her against his larger frame and rested his right hand on the small of
her back.

She
fidgeted, unsure about what to do with her hands. She tried to kiss him back,
but she struggled because she was so short.